Who is Salman Khan?
Salman Khan is an Indian actor, film producer and television presenter who has worked in Hindi cinema for more than three decades. He is one of the most popular and commercially successful actors in Indian film history, with a massive fan following in India and abroad.
Early life and background
Khan was born in Indore in 1965, the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan. He grew up in Mumbai and attended St. Stanislaus High School, surrounded by the film industry from a young age.
Career highlights
- Debut (1988): a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi.
- Breakthrough (1989): Maine Pyar Kiya made him a star and won him the Filmfare Best Male Debut award.
- 1990s hits: Saajan, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Karan Arjun and Biwi No.1.
- Comeback: Wanted (2009) and Dabangg (2010) began a long run of action blockbusters.
- Big franchises: Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and Tiger 3.
Major achievements
Many of his films broke box office records, and Forbes listed him among the world’s highest-paid celebrities. Bajrangi Bhaijaan was praised by critics as well as audiences.
Television
He has hosted the reality show Bigg Boss since 2010, becoming the face of one of India’s most-watched TV programmes.
Philanthropy
His Being Human Foundation supports education and health care for underprivileged people, funded partly by a clothing brand of the same name.
Legal cases
Khan has faced high-profile court cases, including a 2018 conviction in a blackbuck poaching case, which he has appealed. These cases have received wide media coverage alongside his career.
Lessons
Khan’s career shows how strong audience connection and reinvention in a new genre can revive a career after a difficult phase.
Timeline: key moments
- 1965Born in Indore
- 1988Film debut
- 1989Maine Pyar Kiya
- 1994Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!
- 2007Launches Being Human Foundation
- 2010Dabangg; starts hosting Bigg Boss
- 2012Ek Tha Tiger
- 2015Bajrangi Bhaijaan
- 2016Sultan
- 2023Tiger 3
Salman Khan has remained one of Bollywood’s biggest crowd-pullers for more than three decades.
